Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) such as the Ford Explorer have sold in large numbers over the past several years. These types of vehicles include a generally horizontal back door with a window that opens and closes with a latch.
FIG. 1, taken from FIG. 4 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,742, depicts the rear entranceway to the storage compartment of a vehicle 40. The entranceway is comprised of a two-piece door having upper and lower portions. The upper portion 42 of the door is comprised of a rear window enclosed in a frame and hingedly secured to the vehicle along its uppermost edge 44. The lower portion of the door is comprised of a solid section 46 which is hingedly secured to the vehicle along its lower edge 48. Upper portion 42 of the rear door may normally have two piston-type supports 49 secured to the window frame edges and secured internally to the vehicle such that upper portion 42 can be opened and maintained in a substantially-horizontal position 52 for access to the rear portion of the vehicle.
Lower door portion 46 is operable from the closed position to a substantially-horizontal open position to aid in access to the rear portion of the vehicle. When enclosing or securing the rear of the vehicle, lower portion 46 is first raised to a substantially vertical position where it lockingly engages the frame of the vehicle. The upper window portion 42 is then manually lowered such that hasp 54 positioned on the lower portion of the frame of upper portion 42 engages locking mechanism 56 within lower portion 46, thus securing the rear of the vehicle.
A problem oftentimes arises with respect to the operation of the aforesaid vehicles in that it is not possible to obtain any cross ventilation while operating the vehicle since the rear window is in a locked position. It is not advisable to operate the vehicle with the rear window in a totally upright position in that airflow around the vehicle and bumps encountered by the vehicle may damage the window supports. Additionally, operating the vehicle with the window in its upright open position could lead to the loss of luggage, equipment or the like stored in the storage area. Operating the vehicle with the passenger side window or driver's side window slightly open will provide some ventilation, but is not sufficient to remove cigarette smoke or the like, and oftentimes disrupts or interferes with the desired temperature that the operator wishes to maintain within the vehicle.
The '742 patent referenced above is directed to a mechanism which easily mounted on the existing latch of the rear window of such a vehicle which allows the rear window to be lowered and engaged, with the locking mechanism of the lower portion of the door to secure the window in a locked mode yet still provide for a passageway between the upper window portion of the rear door and the lower solid portion of the rear door such that airflow and ventilation within the vehicle will flow rearwardly and exit through this passageway, the passageway being of such a dimension that luggage, equipment or the like stored behind the rear seat cannot exit the vehicle.
FIG. 2, taken from FIG. 5 of the '742 patent illustrates the window latch extender assembly 10 being secured to hasp 54 of upper window portion 42. FIG. 3, taken from FIG. 6 of the '742 patent, illustrates the manner in which the window latch extender assembly 10 then engages the locking mechanism 56 in the lower portion 46 of the rear door thus establishing the upper window portion 42 in a locked, yet opened position.
If an individual wishes to create cross ventilation within the vehicle, the individual would engage lower door portion 46 in its closed position and open upper window portion 42. Body member 16 of window latch extender 10 and facing plate 26 would then be positioned about window hasp 54 such that wing bolt 28 would pass through aperture 27 in facing plate 26 and threadedly engage aperture 24 in body member 16. Window hasp 54 is thus positioned in channel 30 between recessed surface 22 and facing plate 26, in locking engagement with window latch extender 10 such that lock engaging hasp member 12 of window latch extender 10 is positioned to engage locking mechanism 56 in door 46 when window 42 is pivoted towards a closed, locked position.
Window 42 therefore becomes locked in engagement with door 46, however, a gap exists between window 42 and door 46, such gap approximately equal to the length of lock engaging hasp member 12 of window latch extender 10 as illustrated in FIG. 6. This gap provides for the cross ventilation of the vehicle while in operation by allowing vented air entering the front of the vehicle either by means of a slight opening of the window or the opening of the internal vents of the vehicle to flow rearwardly and exit the vehicle through the gap between the window and the door. The gap is not sufficient to allow personal belongings or other items to exit the vehicle, yet does permit the cross ventilation and does secure the window in a locked position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,738 discloses a different system configured to hold a pivotable hatch of a vehicle in a partially open position and to close a switch indicating that the pivotable hatch is open. The system includes a one piece latch extender including a base configured to engage a locking mechanism of the vehicle and coupling member formed on the latch extender. The coupling member is configured to apply a spring force to a hasp on the hatch of the vehicle to couple the latch extender to the hasp and to position the base a predetermined distance from the hasp so that the pivotable hatch remains in a partially open position upon engagement of the base with the locking mechanism. The system also includes an auxiliary post configured to be attached to a post coupled to the hatch of the vehicle to engage and close the switch when the pivotable hatch is in the partially open position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,045 also teaches an extender for the U-shaped striker found on the pivotally opening rear window of a motor vehicle to engage the rear door locking mechanism of the vehicle and maintain the rear window in a partially opened yet securely locked position for ventilation of the interior of the vehicle. The striker extender being U-shaped and pivotally affixed to the striker so that it can easily be moved into a first or parallel position for use and a second or perpendicular position for storage. The striker extender does not have to be removed and is always ready for use and easily placed in the desired position without the need for any tools or special skills. Once the window is locked in the partially opened position, the striker extender cannot be removed from outside the vehicle and therefore unauthorized access to the vehicle's interior is not possible.